Clinical trials: bringing breast cancer breakthroughs closer to home
Thanks to your generous support, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ provided a $64,000 grant earlier this year to Auckland City Hospital’s Cancer and Blood Research Unit. This funding supported the appointment of Shivani Kumar, a dedicated senior clinical research coordinator, focussed on growing breast cancer trial participation and addressing access issues.
Breast Cancer Foundation NZ first began funding the role in 2019 to support the growth and awareness of available trials among clinicians and people with breast cancer. This work supports the recruitment of more participants in clinical trials and delivers much needed New Zealand-specific data.
Results from clinical trials help researchers and clinicians understand how different drugs can be used. Participants receive the best, current, standard of care for their breast cancer and on top of that, some people also get the most innovative treatments. However, only an estimated 2% of people with breast cancer in Auckland are offered the chance to join a clinical trial, many of which will not be drug trials.
We've seen encouraging progress on two fronts. First, Auckland City Hospital has been the top recruiter in Australasia for the CAMBRIA-2 trial, which compares a new type of hormone therapy drug (called a selective oestrogen receptor degrader or SERD) to standard hormone therapies like tamoxifen for preventing cancer from coming back. Ms Kumar's collaboration with clinicians and patients has been key to this success.
Separately, Ms Kumar and the Cancer and Blood Research Unit are exploring locally delivered oncology (LDO) models, allowing treatments at sites like North Shore and Counties Manukau Health NZ. This makes attending appointments for treatment easier, and gives people more options closer to home, particularly for Māori and Pacific communities in South Auckland.
"Building these relationships means patients can access trials closer to home, helping close equity gaps," says Ms Kumar.
Ms Kumar says three new clinical trials are expected in the next six months, including trials looking at different options of delivering paclitaxel. There is a focus as we look forward not only on better treatments but also more tolerable treatments. We look forward to seeing what ongoing research and collaborations in this space can achieve.
As CAMBRIA-2 recruitment ends in early 2026, this funding helps to expand networks to bring more opportunities to local areas.
Your donations are creating real change—thank you!
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